Binding-post



(No Model.) G; WESTINGHOUSE, Jr.

BINDING POST. I No. 358,518. Patented MaJr, 1, 1887;.

\ Q may? WWI W /721 72 ways fizz/67d? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, JR, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BINDING-'POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,518, dated March 1,1887.

Application filed August 25, 1886. Serial No. 211,818. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, Jr., residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Binding-Posts, of which improvement the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawing,which makes part of this specification, the figure represents my improved binding-post by a View in longitudinal section.

In making electrical connections by means of binding-posts annoyance and trouble. are frequently experienced by reason of the wire breaking within the post. This is due in great measure to the grinding or shearing action of the binding-screw upon the wire turning and rubbing directly thereon as it is screwed tight. I

The purpose of my invention is to overcome this difficulty; and, in general terms, it consists of certain combinations,with the postsocket and screw, of a binding block or plug fitted loosely on the base of the socket between the inner end of the screw and the wirepassage, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing, A represents the body portion of the post, having therein a threaded socket, a, and a wire-passage, a, made transversely through the body at the base of the socket. Provision is made for attaching the post to its support by threaded stem of, or by other suitable or wellknown means of making attachment. In the base of the socket to is a 1oosely-fitting block or metal piece, 0, having its lower corners, c, beveled or rounded, for the double purpose of preventing contact of sharp angles with the wire B, and also to present an inclined face to the wire-passage, so that pressure of the end of the wire thereon may raise the block and permit insertion of the wire in case no other provision is made for raising it. The block is pressed upon the wire by screw E, and in doing this the tapered or reduced end 6 of the screw affords comparatively small friction-surface,whereby the block may be pressed firmly upon the wire with little exertion and with very little tendency to communicate rotary motion to the block. Consequently rotary wearing or grinding action will take place only between the end of the screw and the adjacent face of I the block, and practically none of it will be communicated to or operative upon the wire. Small as well as large wires may therefore be bound or connected by the mechanism with equal security from injury by rubbing action of the screw.

In posts designed more expressly for fine or light wire I prefer to make provision for raising the binding-block O by turning the screw up or back. This is done by a small bolt or stem, 0, screwed or otherwise connected to the block and extended outward through an axial passage in the screw. A nut or collar, 0, on the outer end of the bolt or stem affords hearing for the screw-head. The screw turns easily on this axially-inclosed stem, so as not to impart rotary motion to the binding-block C. By these features of construction the difficulties referred to in the use of binding-posts are effectually removed.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. The combination of post-body A, screw E, and binding-block C, such block having the corners on its wireclamping face beveled or cut away, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of post-body A, binding-block O, screw E, having an axial passage therethrough, and headed bolt 0, substantially as set forth.

3. The post-body A, having threaded socket a and wire passage a therein, in combination with binding-block O, fitting loosely in the base of the socket, such block having its edges cut away or beveled on its binding-face, and screw E, having a reduced inner end, 6, bearing upon the block, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEO. WESTINGHOUSE, JR.

Witnesses: I

R. H. WHITTLESEY, O. M. OLA KE. 

